The present invention discloses a storage system for glass substrate and also a method for storing a glass substrate. The storage system includes a rail system, a plurality of stockers, and a trolley. The rail system is configured with first and second interconnected loops of monorails. And a plurality of stockers is arranged adjacent to the rail system. A trolley is moveably arranged to travel along the first and second monorails of the rail system for transporting glass substrates between the stockers. Accordingly, the yield of the liquid crystal display panel can be increased, while the maintenance costs of the overhead shuttle can be lowered.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A storage system for glass substrate, comprising: a rail system configured with first and second interconnected loops of monorails, wherein the first and second monorails juxtaposed together to create a bidirectional area; a plurality of stockers arranged adjacent to the rail system; and a trolley moveably arranged on the first and second monorails for transporting glass substrates between the stockers, wherein the system further includes a cartridge for carrying the glass substrate, wherein the trolley moves the glass substrate between the stockers, wherein the trolley is movable in a first predetermined direction along the first loop of monorail and is also movable in a second predetermined direction along the second loop of monorail, whereby the first and second predetermined directions are opposite to each other in the bidirectional area so that the movement of the trolley along the first and second loops in the bidirectional area is in opposite directions respectively, otherwise the first and second predetermined directions are consistent with each other so that the movement of the trolley along the first and second loops is in an identical direction to allow the trolley to travel a shortest path between two selected stockers selected among the first loop, the second loop, and a combination of the first and second loops interconnected through the bidirectional area.
2. The storage system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the stocker includes a pick-and-place unit, a displacing unit, and a plurality of storage cells, each of the storage cells is used to store the cartridge, wherein the displacing unit is used to move the cartridge between the storage cells and the pick-and-place unit, wherein the cartridge is further moved between the pick-and-place unit and the trolley.
3. The storage system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the pick-and-place device is arranged with rollers and the cartridge is moved between the pick-and-place device and the trolley.
4. The storage system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stockers is arranged on a perimeter of the rail system.
5. The storage system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the trolley is an overhead trolley.
6. A storage system for glass substrate, comprising: a rail system configured with first and second interconnected loops of monorails; a plurality of stockers arranged adjacent to the rail system; and a trolley moveably arranged to travel along the first and second monorails of the rail system for transporting glass substrates between the stockers, wherein the first and second monorails juxtaposed together to create a bidirectional area, and wherein the trolley is movable in a first predetermined direction along the first loop of monorail and is also movable in a second predetermined direction along the second loop of monorail, whereby the first and second predetermined directions are opposite to each other in the bidirectional area so that the movement of the trolley along the first and second loops in the bidirectional area is in opposite directions respectively, otherwise the first and second predetermined directions are consistent with each other so that the movement of the trolley along the first and second loops is in an identical direction to allow the trolley to travel a shortest path between two selected stockers selected among the first loop, the second loop, and a combination of the first and second loops interconnected through the bidirectional area.
7. The storage system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the system further includes a cartridge for carrying the glass substrate, wherein the trolley moves the glass substrate between the stockers.
8. The storage system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the stocker includes a pick-and-place unit, a displacing unit, and a plurality of storage cells, each of the storage cells is used to store the cartridge, wherein the displacing unit is used to move the cartridge between the storage cells and the pick-and-place unit, wherein the cartridge is further moved between the pick-and-place unit and the trolley.
9. The storage system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the pick-and-place device is arranged with rollers and the cartridge is moved between the pick-and-place device and the trolley.
10. The storage system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of stockers are arranged on a perimeter of the rail system.
11. The storage system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the trolley is an overhead trolley.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 3, 2012
March 31, 2015
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